Dr. James Lautenberger and his group had to have a way to read electrophoresis gels of various DNA and RNA sequences without looking up from the gel plate as many mistakes were being made because they were losing their place in the sequence. Our laboratory designed and built a device that interfaces to a DEC-MNC computer that has a 12 button keypad with a cursor on it to keep your place as you scan the gel plate. As each key is pressed, corresponding to the element of the sequence, it is entered into the computer and the key pressed is spoken back to the operator. Thus, allowing backing up and correcting an improper entry without looking away from the gel. The unit is inexpensive and easy to implement. The unit is under evaluation now and several more may be built.